Tributes to ‘kind, sweet’ teenager shot dead one day after graduation

Final respects were paid to a Tennessee teenager who was shot and killed Saturday night, just one day after celebrating her high school graduation.

Lily Basil, 18, succumbed to her injuries after being shot in the right shoulder, local media reported, citing an affidavit. She was pronounced dead at Vanderbilt Medical University Center in Nashville, officials said.

Court documents cited by local media say 18-year-old Matthew Roufail confessed to shooting Lily with what he believed to be an unloaded .22-caliber AR-15 rifle.

Newsweek has not seen the court documents or the arrest affidavit to verify their contents.

Roufail was charged with manslaughter and released on $150,000 bail, Franklin police said Sunday.

“The police assume that this is an isolated case. The investigation is ongoing,” the statement continues.

Newsweek has contacted the FPD via email for further information.

Lily received a flood of tributes on social media.

“Lily, thank you for becoming one of our best friends over the last two years. We are honored to have known you. You have made us laugh so much and given us so many memories that we will cherish forever. We love you very much and miss you very much. Fly high Pookie,” wrote a friend.

Another tribute read: “My love for you, Lily, will always be close to my heart. Beautiful memories have been created to last a lifetime.”

Other posts read: “Sending so much love… Lily had a happy and humorous soul.”

“She was the sweetest girl.”

“Knowing that Lily loved her, she was truly a breath of fresh air to those around her and we will never forget her passing.”

Lily’s family will hold a celebration to honor her life on Friday.

Page High School, where Lily attends, has asked the community to light a candle or porch light after sunset on May 31 to honor her memory. The event is called “Light the Night Memorial: Honoring the Life and Legacy of Lily Basil.”

The school reportedly announced that it is currently holding grief counseling sessions for students.

Katie Hill, principal of Page High, said in a statement made available to the media: “The Page High family mourns the loss of Lily Basil, the Class of 2024 graduate. Lily was a ray of light; she was kind, sweet and extremely respectful.”

“Her smile lit up every room she entered.

“Although she was relatively new to the Page community, she quickly embraced the patriotic spirit and was a friend to everyone she met.

“The faculty, staff and students of Page will miss Lily greatly and we feel a responsibility to honor her memory by sharing her light.”

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